Out of Reach

A parent would reach for this book when their teenager is grappling with a sibling's substance abuse, specifically the cycle of hope and betrayal that follows. While the plot follows Rachel's journey through the underground of Ocean Beach to find her missing brother Micah, the heart of the story is about the trauma of loving someone who is lost to addiction. It validates the complex feelings of guilt and anger that siblings often hide. This realistic contemporary novel is best suited for older teens due to its mature themes of drug use and the gritty reality of life on the streets. It offers a compassionate but unvarnished look at how addiction affects an entire family unit. Parents might choose this to help their child realize they are not responsible for their sibling's choices, providing a healthy outlet to discuss the difference between helping and enabling.